Roller skate



July 26, 1932. c TURNER 1,868,548

ROLLER SKATE Filed March 6, 1931 INVENTOR yaw u Patented July 26, 1932 PATENT oFFicE.

JOSEPH o. Toma, or oxLAnom'cI'rY, omnoma ROLLER SKATE Application filed March 6,

My invention relates to improvements in roller skateshaving ice skate action.

The principal objects of my invention are to provide a device of this character which is 3 new, novel, practical, useful and of evident utility; which is strong, positive in action, durable and reliable; which consists of but few sturdy parts, is easily operated, cannot easily get out of order and is eflicient for the purposes for whichit is intended; to provide a roller skate having a U-shaped housing for a plurality of rollers arranged in tandem or single file, said housing being rocker or bowshaped so that only two of said rollers may be in contact with the floor atone time; to provide a device in which the weight of the skater is supported on a single, narrow, curved surface formed of rollers in tandem analogous to the runner or blade of the rocker type of ice skate; a device in which only a short section of said curved surface is in contact with the floor at any one instant, thus permitting the skater to change his direction and make sharp turns by merel leaning the skate; to provide an adjustable brake for the front roller which is of especial. use when skating backward as well as for bringin the skater to a stop when 8 going forwar to provide a tip or-point at the extreme front 0 end of the skate to serve the double purpose of causing frictional action by contact with the floor when the skate is held in a certain position and also provide a means for turning or spinning on the skate without moving forward or backward; to provide a roller skate analogous to an ice skate which will permit the skater to take sharp corners at daring angles, which will glide smoothly and easily over the floor, which will permit racing speed, stunting and fancy skating not now possible with the present four wheel skate. With these and other objects in view as will more fully appear, my invention consists in 'the construction, novel features, and combination of parts hereinafter more fully described, pointed out in the claimshereto appended, and illustrated in the accompanying one-sheet drawing, of which, 1 Figure 1 is a side elevational view show 50 ing a fragment of the shoe; Fig. 2 is a bottom 1931,. Serial No. 520,605.

view of the rollers and housing; Fig. 3 is a rear elevational view showing a fragment of the heel; Fig. 4 is a perspective view brake lever and brake roller housing; Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fi 1 and Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of i'g. 1.

Like characters of reference designate like parts in all of the figures.

It isunderstood that various changes in the form, proportion, size, shape, weight and 0 other details of construction, within the scope of my invention may be resorted to without departing from the s irit or broad principle of my invention an without sacrificin any of the advantages thereof, and as it is further understood that the drawin is to be interpreted as being illustrative an not restrictive.

In my improved roller skate, it will be evident that the weight of the skater is supported by a short section of the rocker or curved surface in contact with the floorat any one instant, and that this arrangement allows the said skater to change his direction or make sharp turns, This is impossible with the present four wheel type of roller skate, as there is no so-called fifth wheel means of guiding the skate, so that any appreciable change in direction can be made only by picking the skate up from the floor and setting it down in the new direction.

My front roller, or wheel, is fitted with an adjustable brake. The most important use, of this feature is in skating backwards. 35. When going in this direction, especially when skating on one foot, the common tendenc is for the skate to .get ahead of the point of alance of the body. The common method of overcoming this tendency when skating on ice 9o skates is to raise up on the point or toe of the skate so that the teeth or the notches, with which most ice skatesare provided, will engage in the ice and retard the motion of the. skater. This same effect can be had on my 0 improved roller skate by raising up on the toe of-the skate until the wheel or roller which 'is fitted with the brake comes in contact with the floor.

The tip, point or pivot which is provided at by merely leaning the skate. 75

without the necessity of moving forward or backward. The tips are free to turn on an 7 5 the skater may raise up on I spin around.

in connection with the braked wheel, to sim-v ulate the action of the notches, or teeth, of

the ice skate,'in that it furnishes a means of slowing the speed of the skate by providing a positive contact with the floor and thusproducing a greater friction between the skate and the floor than is provided by the free rollers. This is also similar in action to theteeth in the ice skates in that it provides a point of secure footing for the purpose regaining or retaining the balance of the skater.

floor in such position that it is difficult to regain his balance, he may'raise up on the tips of the skates andobtain a firm footing on the floor. Second, these tips or pivots provide a method of turning, or spinning, on the skate axis perpendicular to the floor, when the skates are held in the proper position, so that these tips and Thus it can be seen that I provide an improved roller skate which will duplicate the speed and other desirable qualities I of the high grade ice skate and permit the exhilirating sport of skatin to be enjoyed in a clime and at a time now orbidden to thousands of enthusiasts.

I One embodiment'of my invention is shown as follows: As illustrated in the drawing my device is rigidly attached to shoe 1, althoug it ma be made to be detachably clamped to the s cc. I provide toe plate 2, and heel plate. 3 for attaching to heel 4. Rivets 5 and 6 secure said plates 2 and 3 respectively to shoe 1'. Inverted U-shaped frame 7 provides a rigid housing for the rollers.- Plate2 is connected to frame 7 by member 8 and plate 3 to said frame-7 by member 9. The forward end 10 of frame 7 is turned back under late 2 and secured thereto by rivet 11. Adacent the extreme end of member 10 I secure adjusting screw and nut 12 for applying the proper pressure to brake roller 24. Frame 7 as can best be seen in Fig. 1, has rocker or bow-shaped lower edges and forms a housing for rollers 13 to inclusive, pivoted at a uniform distance from said edges; All of said rollers are free to move on ball bearings lated and retarded by brake roller 24. The curvature of the said frame 7 and the mounting of the rollers is such that only two of Said floor at any 7 one time, for example 15 and 16 as shown in rollers are in contact. with the Fig. 1. The rollers being narrow and having small treads, and being placed in tandem or single file, provide a contacting surface with the 11001 analogous with the steel runners of ice skates in contact with the surface screw ,the nut of said bolt 12 provides means for 1 For instance, if the skater becomes over-' 5 balanced and the skates are moving on the 34 except 20, the movement of which is reguof the ice. Sharp turns and other maneuvers can be made as readily with my roller skate on a floor as with the best style of ice skates on ice. Brake lever 21 is attached to connecting member 8 by pivot pin 22 through :holes 23 of said lever 21. Brakeroller 24 is housed in end 25 of lever 21 and turns on bolt pivot 26 screwed into hole 27. Adjusting 12 is seated in slot 28 of lever 21 and applying the proper brake pressure to brake f roller .24 and skate roller' 20. When ,the

skater wishes to slow up gradually he tips the skate forward until rollers 19 and 20 contact the floor when the brake action on roller 20 will stop him. The principal use however, of this braking action of roller 20, as already explained, is to prevent the skater from being overbalanced when skating backwards, as without the retarding effect of theplrake the skate will shoot out from under Immediately ahead of roller 20 I provide tip, point or pivot 29 of fiber or other suitable material, set in a short, rotating, cylindrical housing 30, secured to frame 7 by bolt and nut 31. The action and purpose of this point or pivot 29 and rotating housing 30 has been fully explained hereinbefore. The renewable treads 32 of the rollers may be of fiber or other suitable material, attached to rim 33 by any suitable means. Ball bearings 34 lessen friction and spacer sleeves 35 serve to keep the rollers centrally alined within the U frame 7. Bolt pivots 36 pass through one side' of said U frame and are threaded into the other side of said U frame and form a rigid, substantial mounting for the rollers.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and wish to secure by Letters Patent is: y

'1. A device of the class described, compris ing a U-shaped housing for a plurality of rollers, a plurality of rollers pivoted within said, housing and alined in tandem orsingle file therein to simulate the shape and action of the steel runner of an iceskate, toe plate, heel plate and connecting means for attaching said housing to a shoe, said housing having rocker or bow-shaped lower edges, the curvature of said lower edges being such that only two of said rollers are in contact with the floor at any one time, thereby permitting quick turns and sudden changes of direction of the skater, afront roller retarded by a brake, adjustable brake means for said front roller, said'brake controlled roller being adapted to retard the skater,'especially when skating backwards, and prevent overbalancing of said skater. .11

saidhousing having its lower edges formed-in rocker or bow shape so that only two of said rollers are in contact with the floor at any one time, means thus provided whereby the Weight of the skater is supported on a single,

narrow, curved surface formed of said tandem rollers analogous to the runner or blade housing in tandem or sin le file, said housing having its lower edges ormed in rocker or bow-shape so that only two of said rollers are in contact with the floor at any one time, means thus provided whereby the weightof the skater is supported on a single, narrow,- curved surface formed of said tandem rollers analogous to the runner or blade of the rocker type of ice skate, adjustable roller brake means for the front roller, a point or pivot immediately ahead of said front roller, said point being of fiber or other suitable material and renewable, a short, rotating, cylindrical housing for said point, means for attaching said cylindrical housing to said frame, said point and housing providing positive frictional means withthe floor for stopping the skater, said members also providing means whereby said skater can turn or spin without moving forward or backward.

4. In a device of the class described, tandem rollers in arcuate conformation, an adjustable brake for the foremost of said rollers and a frictional brake and pivot point in front of said foremost roller.

JOSEPH C. TURNER. V 

